PAPAHUA

Ngaati Maahanga occupation within Papahua started with the hekenga of Ngaati Koata
proper with the Ngaati Toa collective. The chiefs Te Puna-aa-toto, Te Kata, Taiawa, Te
Uehooka, Taawhi, Mataotuutonga and others were all living in raglan at the time.

Te Awaitaia was the remnant of those chiefs of old, who maintained the mana of Ngaati
Maahanga within Whaingaroa and along the west coast harbours.

Taiawa, Te Awaitaia and Muriwhenua. went to gather together some of the Ngaati Koata
people, who had close connections with Ngaati Maahanga and returned them back on to
their land to resettle them among the people of Ngaati Maahanga within Whaingaroa,
maintaining whakapapa and hapuu links.

The Papahua land consists of 34 acres and was awarded to Ngaati Hourua, Ngaati
Maahanga in 1910. In 1923, the Raglan Town Board went to Whatawhata to ask Ngaati
Hourua Ngaati Maahanga to sell the block. The meeting was arranged by Roore Erueti for
Te Awarutu Te Awaitaia to meet with the Raglan town board and to consider their proposal
to sell the land. The request was refused by the rangatira Te Awarutu. Under pressure to sell
their land, the owners instead made a decision to transfer the land according to customary
practice for use as a public reserve and Te Awarutu made the following statement we will
not agree to sell the bones of our grandfather, but we will tuku the land for us all. The
conditions attached to the transfer were:

That the land would never be sold

That the Raglan Town Board would derive no benefit from the land
That a bridge would be built between Papahua and the township
That the memorial monument to Te Awaitaia would be transferred to Papahua
That Ngaati Hourua and Ngaati Maahanga and the Crown would have equal rights
over the land

Transferring rather than selling Papahua meant
the right of Ngaati Hourua Ngaati Maahanga
to maintain the relationship with Papahua was
assured, and that Ngati Hourua Ngaati
Maahanga and the Crown could freely enjoy the
open spaces of Papahua, in keeping with the
spirit of peace-making envisaged by Te
Awaitaia.

The area along the foreshore, including this

burial ground, is called Papahua 3. This land is
held under Maaori title to Ngaati Hourua
Ngaati Maahanga.